OK, I disagree on this one, from a principle standpoint: Telegram does not draw attention, it is hugely popular. Group chats are exactly the same as Whatsapp in terms of encryption: the company in both cases could decrypt, and they block and ban any terrorist activity. It is only in one-to-one chats that there is the option of encryption to which on one else, not even the company has the keys. But I have always believed in NOT using companies that are unprincipled, lie to us, or abuse our ignorance: Facebook/Whatsapp is a huge data mining operation. As someone NOT engaged in illegal activity I don't believe anyone that I don't know, has any right to do that with my data. If I sign up to FB in the Terms and Conditions I am agreeing that anything and everything, images, text etc that I upload onto Facebook is the property no longer of ME, but of Facebook! They put that there in the small print that no one reads. Telegram was started by a Russian in Germany who was fed up with lawful business and personal communications being spied on by the government of Russia and he has held to these principles to EVERY government while at the same time built in very good ways to report any terrorist abuse. I've read all his posts, they are very principled, and he is leading the way in privacy, something we are still entitled to. For that reason, I don't use Whatsapp/Fakebook but am happy to use Telegram. Just saying, I won't use Whatsapp! There's amateur radio groups and CW groups there too on Telegram as well as CW News so I don't feel I am missing anything. And I'm certainly not attracting attention to myself via the use of such a popular program. Those of us in the East have long been aware of unwarranted spying on lawful citizens, it is those in the West who are now only waking up to this reality.

Condx here today: Telegram and Internet were working fine, cell network and mobile calls was not. HF: I recently made a 2m long helical vertical about 3.5cm diameter which works very well on 20m, and today added 12cm base coil which resonates it on 40m. Boy does it work well. S8-9 to and from central pacific with 50W on CW, and S5 into K7 on 40m with 50W PEP SSB. W1YL/7 was S8. It really seems quite efficient, and condx indeed are good. Yesterday, did not try today, 30m LP EU to VK was very good. 20m today was also great from USA to AUS. But now there is a minor geomagnetic storm underway have not had a listen as the local noise is huge on all bands right now from the drug users, dealers and tell-lie-vision watchers but condx supposed to be poor on all bands so maybe the good time is over again for now.